Hawaii gives legislature power to ban same-sex marriage

(AllPolitics, November 3) -- Just as Hawaii's high court seemed poised to allow same-sex marriages, gay activists have seen their visions of legal weddings on the beaches of Maui disappear as voters approved Constitutional Amendment 2, giving the legislature power to "reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples."

The expensive and divisive fight over same-sex marriage in Hawaii had been seen by supporters as a possible test case for other states.

Spending reports, filed in October, showed supporters of the amendment had raised nearly $1.3 million, and the opposition had raised $1.15 million. Much of the pro-gay marriage money came from the Human Rights Campaign, a gay and lesbian civil rights group, while the traditional marriage money came from conservative Christian and other religious groups.

The money filled Hawaii's air waves with ads. The pro-gay marriage side said Hawaiians shouldn't tamper with their constitution, and they suggested denying homosexuals the right to marry was akin to denying the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Those who support traditional marriages said it was a matter of what society teaches its children. "We would basically be telling our children this is alright, this is normal and natural, and we don't believe that's true," Linda Rosehill of "Save Traditional Marriage" said before the vote.

Voters in Alaska overwhelmingly approved a same-sex marriage ballot initiative Tuesday. Alaska's measure goes one step beyond Hawaii's measure, by amending the constitution to limit marriage to "exist only between one man and one woman."